Whitten, 23, battled for the GRC Lites point championship in 2015 after recording a main event win at Belle Isle in Detroit and placing second at Daytona International Speedway in June. Whitten also recorded three podium finishes last year, five qualifying heat wins and one qualifying pole position. Whitten scored a fifth place finishing position in the 2015 GRC Lites Championship as a rookie.

The former late model stock car racer is scheduled to campaign in numerous 2016 GRC Lites events beginning in Dallas on June 4, Washington State on Sept. 17 and the Port of Los Angeles Oct. 8-9.

“Tanner Whitten is a remarkable young driver, and we’re excited to be partnering with him and the DRR team this race season,” said Jennifer Gibson, brand manager of WIX. “It’s this kind of passion and energy that WIX loves to be a part of each year. These opportunities allow us to continue our longtime support of racing and reach new fans. It’s a win-win.”

WIX products include oil, air and fuel filters that have been track-tested and proven in all levels of stock car, dirt track, off-road and drag racing. WIX uses motorsports as a grueling testing ground for scenarios involving high temperatures, fluctuations in pressure and rapid breakdown of engine oil.

“It’s exciting to be joining a very strong and proven operation with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in 2016,” said Whitten, who was 2010 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Whelen stock car series. “I enjoyed a good rookie season last year with the Detroit win and several podium finishes. The DRR team has proven to field very competitive cars in both GRC SuperCar and Lites divisions. I saw their machines last year in action, and I’m anxious to race with DRR in 2016. I can’t wait for my first race at Dallas next month.”

DRR will field two Red Bull GRC Lites machines in 2016, including the No. 2 DRR Red Bull GRC Lites entry with newcomer Cabot Bigham and Paratek Pharmaceuticals. Coming off a 2015 season with four race wins and eight podium finishes, DRR is poised for continued success in 2016. The DRR organization has been a successful team in the Verizon IndyCar Series since 2000 and continues to expand its effort within both Red Bull GRC SuperCar and Lites series.

“We’re very excited to add Tanner to our 2016 driver lineup for the DRR Red Bull GRC team. Tanner is a team player and has quickly become a part of our racing family. It’s an honor to continue our partnership with WIX within the Lites series, and we’re thrilled to announce additional news about this partnership very soon so stay tuned,” said Dennis Reinbold, team owner of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

Former Indy 500 champion Buddy Rice again will serve as a driver consultant and program manager for DRR’s GRC Lites program. DRR will continue to utilize many of his personnel from its IndyCar team, including engineering, mechanical, shock and damper, and management staff.

Contact: Tom Blattler, 317-525-5692

About Tanner Whitten:

Whitten, 23, began his racing career in 2008 in the USAC Ford Focus midget and immediately recorded feature wins (including the USAC 500th Ford Focus main event victory). He also scored the Sportsman championship and later moved into the Late Model stock cars and fifth in the NASCAR Whelen series points. Tanner also competed in the NASCAR K&N Series. In 2012, Whitten was the public driver to test and developed the current GRC Lites car in 2012. In 2013, Tanner debuted in sports cars and piloted a Porsche Cayman to victory at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Whitten, 23, battled for the GRC Lites point championship in 2015 after record a main event win at the famed Belle Isle in Detroit and placed second at the legendary Daytona International Speedway. In addition, Whitten recorded three podium finishes, five qualifying heat wins and one qualifying pole position. Whitten finished the 2015 GRC Lites points in fifth as a rookie.

About WIX Filters:

About WIX Filters: Since 1939, WIX® Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks, off-road equipment and manufacturing applications. For more information, visit www.wixfilters.com, or any of our social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing:

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 2000 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s, which many started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buhl, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Ryan Briscoe, Al Unser Jr., Townsend Bell and Sage Karam. DRR campaigned in the Red Bull Global Rallycross for the first time in 2015 with one car in the Supercar division and two cars in the Lites class, scoring four Lites wins and one Supercar win.

About Red Bull Global Rallycross:

Designed to produce the fastest and most exciting racing in motorsports, Red Bull Global Rallycross pits small production-based cars against each other in door-to-door racing featuring dirt, asphalt, and table-top jumps. With enhanced engineering and safety features, the cars produce 600 horsepower and can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in less than two seconds, and can also withstand 70-foot jumps and other vehicle contact. The 12-race 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross season opens on May 21st in Phoenix, AZ. For more information, visit www.RedBullGlobal Rallycross.com.